Pam Perlich, a senior research economist at the University of Utah, also said, "We are becoming a dramatically different country demographically," and it is important that people of all backgrounds participate so the nation has an accurate picture of who we are.

"By 2050 we expect half of the nation's population to be minority," she said. "It is vitally important that people stand up and be counted so that all of the people who are making decisions about facilities and programs and policies and locations of businesses and all the rest get an accurate picture — and yes this is the new face of Utah."

The Most Rev. John C. Wester, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake, added, "Nobody is inconsequential. No one is a throwaway. Everyone is important, and everyone counts."

Utah's population is estimated to have grown by about 500,000 people since the last census. The 2000 Census listed Utah's population at 2.23 million. Most recent estimates put it at 2.76 million.

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